Chapter Summaries

After waking from five days of sleep, Xiao Yan joined the crowds heading to the Ancient Ruins. The expedition reached a blood-red lake that Xiao Yan recognized as the One-Horned Whale Serpent's lair.

• Xiao Yan woke, sensed the city preparing to enter the Ancient Ruins, and decided to seek the Soul-Congealing Fruit.
• Huo Ba led the Huo Clan toward the Xilin Mountain Range, followed by Zhuo Bentang and the Zhuo Clan.
• Bai Ying led the Bai Clan after glaring at the Sun Clan, while Sun Shuo and Sun Hanxi set out after confirming Bai Zhan was absent.
• Xiao Yan followed the vast crowd as it flew through the Xilin Mountain Range toward the ruins.
• The expedition arrived at a blood-colored lake, and Xiao Yan recognized it as the One-Horned Whale Serpent's lair.

Xiao Yan recognized the blood-red lake as the One-Horned Whale Serpent’s blood and watched the Ancient Ruins entrance open. After blood pillars killed several Half-Emperors, the gathered cultivators waited until the lake receded and revealed the entrance.

• Xiao Yan concluded that humans had likely killed the One-Horned Whale Serpent and turned his attention to the Ancient Ruins.
• Gu You told Xiao Yan that he had detected nothing unusual at the site before, suggesting the ruins’ owner was extraordinary.
• The blood-red lake churned and released a scarlet mist that caused cultivators’ Dou Qi to stir dangerously.
• Blood pillars shot from the lake and pierced several Half-Emperors who had approached it.
• The lake receded to reveal an enormous opening, and the gathered cultivators and Four Great Clans rejoiced that the Ancient Ruins had opened.

The Ancient Ruins opened, but a formation in the scarlet lake caused nearly a hundred Half-Emperors to die when they tried to enter. Huo Ba led the Huo Clan toward the entrance while Xiao Yan and the other clans stayed back, waiting for their chance.

• The lake receded to reveal the ruins, and the first people who rushed toward the entrance began swelling and exploded, creating a deadly energy storm.
• Xiao Yan let the storm sweep over him as the Great Dao of the Void on his robes devoured its power, while dozens of nearby Half-Emperors vanished.
• The scarlet lake churned and released a blood mist, and the clan leaders concluded that a powerful formation could affect the Dou Qi within people.
• Huo Ba praised the ruins and invited the other clans to enter first, but Zhuo Bentang told him the Zhuo Clan would wait and let the Huo Clan go ahead.
• Huo Ba led the Huo Clan down toward the entrance as other Half-Emperors followed, while Xiao Yan stayed behind and waited for the right moment.

As the Huo Clan and other experts descended toward the Ancient Ruins, a bizarre blood lake killed hundreds of Half-Emperor experts with blood pillars, blood mist, and raging Dou Qi. Xiao Yan watched the Huo Clan enter and the Sun Clan follow, then recognized three familiar king beasts among those still waiting.

• Huo Ba shielded the Huo Clan disciples with Dou Qi and roared at them to dodge the blood pillars, while dozens of pursuing Half-Emperor experts were killed.
• Huo Ba led the surviving Huo Clan disciples toward the entrance, and repeated attacks from the lake killed hundreds of Half-Emperor experts in less than ten minutes.
• Blood-colored mist drifted from the opening, causing several Half-Emperor experts to lose control of their Dou Qi and explode.
• Xiao Yan worried that the blood Qi could harm him, then saw the Huo Clan disappear into the ruins and Sun Shuo lead the Sun Clan toward the entrance.
• Xiao Yan recognized Tian Ying, Yan Shi, and Xiong Gang, the three great king beasts of the Xilin Mountain Range.

Xiao Yan vanished from the crowd and raced to rescue Tian Ying, Yan Shi, and Xiong Gang as blood pillars slaughtered the Half-Emperors attacking the Ancient Ruins. He arrived just in time to save Xiong Gang, leaving the three kings reunited with him amid the deadly assault.

• Xiao Yan disappeared from the sky crowd, drawing the attention of Bai Ying and Zhuo Bentang, while the blood lake began to churn.
• Blood pillars erupted from the lake and overwhelmed the Half-Emperors, killing most of them as Tian Ying, Yan Shi, and Xiong Gang fought together to survive.
• Xiong Gang tried to hold off the pillars so Tian Ying and Yan Shi could reach the ruins, but a strike shattered his armor and left him surrounded by four pillars.
• Tian Ying and Yan Shi rushed to save Xiong Gang, but he was too badly injured and trapped for them to reach him in time.
• Xiao Yan appeared with a thunderclap, diverted the fatal attack, and surprised Xiong Gang, who recognized him in disbelief.

Xiao Yan reunited with Tian Ying, Yan Shi, and Xiong Gang after saving Xiong Gang from a pillar of blood. When four pillars attacked them, he stepped forward and absorbed them into four black curtains, leaving the watching experts stunned.

• Xiao Yan stopped Xiong Gang from revealing his presence and reunited with him as Tian Ying and Yan Shi arrived.
• Tian Ying and Yan Shi thanked the black-robed stranger for saving Xiong Gang, then recognized him as Xiao Yan.
• Tian Ying warned the others as four pillars of blood turned toward them, but Xiao Yan insisted on facing the attack himself.
• Xiao Yan gathered the power of the Great Dao and formed four black curtains in front of the approaching pillars.
• The four pillars of blood vanished into the curtains, astonishing the experts who watched.

Xiao Yan revealed the Great Dao of the Void by devouring the blood pillars, shocking the experts gathered above the ruins. Zhuo Lin considered approaching him as an ally, while Bai Ying recognized him as Xiao Yan and Xiao Yan sensed that Zhuo Lin would be difficult to deal with.

• Xiao Yan's four black curtains devoured the blood pillars that had killed hundreds of Half-Emperor experts.
• Zhuo Bentang recognized the curtains' power as the Great Dao of the Void, and Zhuo Lin judged Xiao Yan could become their greatest opponent.
• Zhuo Lin decided the Zhuo Clan should try to ally with Xiao Yan and warned Zhuo Bentang to find a way to approach him.
• Bai Ying recognized the black-robed figure as Xiao Yan and noted that the Sun Clan had already entered the ruins.
• Xiao Yan scanned the experts above and felt more pressure from Zhuo Lin than from Bai Ying or Zhuo Bentang.

Xiao Yan used Void Robes to shield Tian Ying, Yan Shi, and Xiong Gang from the blood mist and hurried toward the ruins as the mist caused Half-Emperor experts to explode. The resulting energy storm devastated the area, and Xiao Yan barely withstood it while the three brothers survived with injuries.

• Xiao Yan gave Tian Ying, Yan Shi, and Xiong Gang Void Robes that concealed them and kept out the blood mist for a quarter of an hour.
• Tian Ying and the other two thanked Xiao Yan, then hurried with him toward the ruins' entrance after Half-Emperor experts began screaming and swelling.
• Xiao Yan sensed someone watching him from the crowd, but the observer looked away before he could identify them.
• More than ten Half-Emperor experts exploded as the blood mist destabilized their Dou Qi, unleashing a storm that shattered space and killed everyone below Seven-Star Half-Emperor.
• Xiao Yan used three curtains, his physical strength, and the Ancient Dragon Phoenix Armor to withstand the storm, while Tian Ying, Yan Shi, and Xiong Gang survived with injuries.

After the energy storm devastated the surrounding mountains, the experts reconsidered entering the ruins as another wave of blood mist emerged. Xiao Yan used Bone White Flame to seal the cavern and promised to protect Tian Ying and his two companions, while Zhuo Lin and Zhuo Bentang questioned his strength and recognized his flame as a Heavenly Flame.

• The energy storm ended after injuring the surviving experts and flattening the surrounding mountain ranges.
• Zhuo Lin concluded that Xiao Yan might be a Half-Emperor who had comprehended the Power of the Great Dao before reaching Dou Di.
• A fresh wave of blood mist drifted from the cavern, prompting the surviving Half-Emperor experts to retreat upward.
• Tian Ying and his two companions decided to withdraw, but Xiao Yan assured them he would bring them into the ruins and back alive.
• Xiao Yan asked Gu You for help and used Bone White Flame to burn away the blood mist and seal the cavern entrance.
• Zhuo Bentang and Zhuo Lin stared at Xiao Yan in astonishment and identified his flame as a Heavenly Flame.

Xiao Yan was confronted by Zhuo Bentang while preparing to enter the ruins, and Gu You temporarily took control of his power to repel the attack. The gathered experts discovered that the black-robed figure possessed Four-Star Dou Di strength, and Gu You challenged Zhuo Bentang from within Xiao Yan’s body.

• Zhuo Lin refused to attack Xiao Yan before confirming his identity, but told Zhuo Bentang to test him if he approached the ruins.
• Zhuo Bentang charged Xiao Yan with a powerful Dou Qi strike, intending to kill him and claim the Heavenly Flame.
• Xiao Yan asked Gu You for help because dodging would leave Tian Ying and the others exposed, and Gu You agreed to act for the last time.
• Gu You’s power surged through Xiao Yan, and he sent Zhuo Bentang crashing into the ground with a burst of Dou Qi pressure.
• The experts, including Zhuo Lin and Bai Ying, recognized Xiao Yan’s displayed strength as Four-Star Dou Di, and Gu You asked Zhuo Bentang whether he was worthy of testing him.

Xiao Yan and Gu You provoked Zhuo Lin while Xiao Yan prepared to finish off Zhuo Bentang. Zhuo Lin unleashed the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Sword Control Technique, but Xiao Yan stopped and shattered his swords, then froze Zhuo Lin with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

• Xiao Yan spread his Heavenly Flames and pressured Zhuo Bentang as Zhuo Lin worried about the consequences if the Zhuo Clan’s strongest expedition member died.
• Zhuo Lin introduced himself and tried to intervene, but Gu You dismissed him and insulted him, leaving him furious and humiliated.
• Zhuo Lin summoned dozens of golden swords with the Sword Control Technique and sent them toward Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan commanded the swords to halt and shattered them into golden fragments.
• Xiao Yan surrounded Zhuo Lin with Heavenly Flames and froze him in blue ice, leaving him seriously injured but alive.

Xiao Yan suppressed the Blood Lake Grand Formation with Gu You’s power, then led Tian Ying and the others toward the ruins. After the group entered, the Heavenly Flames vanished and the released blood mist engulfed hundreds of descending Half-Emperor experts.

• Xiao Yan chose not to kill Zhuo Lin and the Zhuo Clan, believing he should defeat his opponent with his own strength.
• Xiao Yan and his companions reached the ruins after the Bone Spirit Cold Flame refined the scarlet blood mist.
• Gu You’s power faded, leaving Xiao Yan weak, and he assured Tian Ying and the others that he was fine.
• Xiao Yan warned Tian Ying and the others to stay close inside the ruins, then entered through the spatial ripples with them.
• The crowd rushed toward the entrance, but the Heavenly Flames disappeared and the blood mist surged out, swallowing hundreds of Half-Emperor experts.

Xiao Yan entered a mist-filled formation in the ruins and sensed its exit, but the path led him to an illusion of Xun'er. He rejected the fake and was pulled away by Cai Lin, who warned him that the real Xun'er might be in danger.

• Xiao Yan used his soul power to locate the formation's exit and flew toward it, but found no way out.
• Xiao Yan heard Xun'er call to him and embraced the woman who appeared before him.
• Xiao Yan realized the woman was fake when she did not recognize his Teacher, and he tried to leave her.
• Cai Lin seized the fake Xun'er and pulled Xiao Yan away, warning him that she and Xun'er had entered the place a month earlier and that the real Xun'er might still be in danger.

Xiao Yan resisted the formation’s illusion of Cai Lin, discovered that the formation might possess its own spirit, and was allowed to leave. He reached the formation’s exit while a woman in a golden, formation-patterned dress watched him disappear.

• Xiao Yan recognized that the apparent Cai Lin was an illusion because she called him husband instead of using his name.
• The misty figure admitted she might be the formation’s spirit and opened a passage to the exit for Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan questioned her motives, then cautiously followed the passage as the mist closed behind him.
• A woman in a golden dress embroidered with formation patterns appeared and called Xiao Yan interesting.
• Xiao Yan found the white light marking the exit and plunged into it.

Xiao Yan escaped the formation into a vast hall and chose an exit, hoping to find Tian Ying and the others. After searching the Ancient Ruins’ chambers, he broke open an intact stone door and found a room full of Spirit Stones.

• Xiao Yan emerged into the golden hall, failed to find Tian Ying and the other two, and chose one of five exits.
• After an hour in the passage, Xiao Yan found a ransacked chamber and realized he could search the other stone rooms for rewards.
• Xiao Yan passed dozens of broken stone doors before finding one intact and testing its powerful formation.
• Xiao Yan shattered the sealed stone door with Eight Extremes Collapse and discovered Spirit Stones inside.

Xiao Yan discovered a chamber full of Spirit Stones and stored them away, intending to use them to strengthen his nine avatars. He raced deeper into the ruins, breaking open unguarded stone gates and collecting their contents as other Half-Emperor experts watched warily.

• Xiao Yan found a chamber piled with Spirit Stones and swept them all into his Storage Ring.
• Xiao Yan decided the Spirit Stones could help most of his nine avatars reach the five-star Half-Emperor level, while he avoided refining them himself.
• Xiao Yan covered himself with his black robe and sped through the passages toward another junction.
• Xiao Yan passed Half-Emperor experts attacking stone gates, drawing wary and hostile looks because of his speed.
• Xiao Yan broke open unguarded stone gates and collected their medicinal ingredients and pills before swiftly moving on.

Xiao Yan searched the ruins for the Soul-Congealing Fruit and the ingredients for the Ice Spirit Pill, but found neither. He broke through a heavily fortified chamber, collected nearly a hundred third-tier pills, and was confronted by five pursuers.

• Xiao Yan searched nearly a hundred stone chambers over four or five days without finding the ingredients he wanted.
• Xiao Yan shattered a stone door’s powerful formation with repeated attacks and discovered five shelves filled with jade boxes of medicinal pills.
• Xiao Yan swept the jade boxes into his Storage Ring.
• Five figures arrived at the chamber and threatened to kill Xiao Yan after he had gathered the treasures.

Xiao Yan was ambushed by five Half-Emperor experts who had been killing people to steal their treasures. He killed the four attackers and then struck down their leader, leaving the chamber clear of the ambushers.

• The gray-robed old man and his four companions moved to ambush Xiao Yan after he opened a stone door, intending to kill him and take his treasure.
• Xiao Yan shattered the five experts’ combined oppressive presence, making them suspect he was a Dou Di.
• The gray-robed old man persuaded the others that Xiao Yan was bluffing, and the four rushed forward to attack him.
• An invisible force stopped the four attackers, and their bodies turned to ash before they could reach Xiao Yan.
• The gray-robed old man struck Xiao Yan but was thrown back by a powerful counterforce.
• Xiao Yan appeared behind the old man and pierced his neck with a fire arrow.

Xiao Yan defeated another group of Half-Emperor experts but spared them, then continued deeper into the ruins searching for the ingredients he needed. He stopped after hearing two people invoke the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion and threaten their attackers.

• Xiao Yan overwhelmed seven Half-Emperor experts in a stone chamber and let the six conscious men leave with their unconscious companion.
• After the group fled, Xiao Yan collected the chamber’s medicinal ingredients and rare metals before vanishing.
• Xiao Yan reflected that he had spared the groups he encountered to avoid needless killing, then noted that ten days of searching and opening a hundred stone doors had not yielded the Soul-Congealing Fruit or two other ingredients he wanted.
• Xiao Yan decided to head deeper into the ruins, where he expected to find more valuable treasures, and sped past Half-Emperor experts without being detected.
• Xiao Yan halted when he heard someone warn that the two of them belonged to the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion and would be avenged.

Xiao Yan appeared in a stone chamber just as three black-robed elders prepared to kill two injured elders of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion. After learning the two survivors belonged to the Yan City branch, he faced the attackers and met their leader’s sudden strike with a punch.

• Three black-robed elders surrounded two wounded Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders and prepared to finish them off.
• Xiao Yan appeared before the two elders, astonishing everyone with his speed and blocking the attackers’ first strike with a formation.
• The leading black-robed elder questioned Xiao Yan and secretly gathered Dou Qi for an attack.
• Xiao Yan asked the two elders which Cloud-Hidden Pavilion branch they belonged to, and they identified it as the Yan City branch.
• The three black-robed elders attacked, and Xiao Yan activated his Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline and punched their leader.